Buckland w



laiwi (offline,

BUGK'LAND w. BULL,

'or NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters .Patent No. 106,317, (Zated August 16, 1870.

DEVICE -I'OR LEVELING' BILLIARD `.AND O'I'H R TABLES, 8m.

The Scheule referre to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, BUGKAND W. BULL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Mechanim for raising or lowering the legs of billiardand other tables, and articles of furniture, and "levellng the same; and I do in order to level therlsame, to meet any inequalities or,

sinking4 of the floor.

It consists in combining with a vert-ically adjustable rod, having a screw-thread at its upper end, and extendjngthrough'the leg of the table, a Worm-wheel, within the frame or body of the table, actuat-ed and held in position by 'an endless scre'w or worm, also located in the body o f the table, and so as to he accessible to and controllable by the vthumb and finger, with- 1*' igure 1 representsa section of a table in Vertical position w-ith myiinprovement applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section, showing a top view of my devices applied.

Myl invention has most valuein connection with billiard-`tables, in which aperfectly true horizontal position of the entirebed 'of the .table is of paramount necessity, and I will describe it' asl applied thereto.

A represenfs'a portio'n of the frame of the table or bed, and. v

z B one of the legs. v

The latter is bored through lengthwise, as seen, to receive the vertical'rod O, which is provided with a screw-thread, c, at its uppcrend, and, preferably, Awith astrong broad base, d, at its 'lower end, the lat-terbeing adapted to project a little below the bottcm line of the leg, and so as to rest upon the floor and receive its share of the weight of the table.

D is a worm-wheel or gear, located in a cavity made for itin the table, and having, through its center, a screw-threaded opening, fitted to receive the screwthreaded end c of4 the rod, and it is provided with a hub or socket, e, which projects into a small cavity,

f, in the body of the table, as seen.

These cavities are made large enough to permit the wheel and vits socket to be revolvedthcrein freely.

At the top of the 'cavity f is, preferably, fitted a metal disk or plate, g, to aiord a smooth, hard, frictional'suriace, to allow the easy turning of .the wheel.

The table-leg may hesecured to the table in any well-known manner. the same by means of a screw-thread on' the leg, the top of the threaded part reaching about up to the lower line of the wheel, and thus serving to assist in i kecping it steady in .its place, although it is, in fact self-sustaining, by-'hanging at'one side upon the worm, hereafter described. i i i The threaded end of the rod extends into ahole bored far enough up into the table to' receive it when in its highest position.

E israshaft, having. a worm, 7:., thereon, and fitted 'to work in bearingsplaced in` a horizontal opening, i,

bored in .the side of the table, as seen, the worm h engaging with the worm-wheel D. v

A thumb-piece, orhandle, F, serves to turn the shaft and its worm h, and thus to' actuate the gear D,

which, by turning upon the thread on rod C, servcs either to lower or raise it, as the worm is turned in one or the other direction. i

The thumbpiece is, preferably, sunken heneath the surface of the side of the table, so as to be'on'tof the way, and not liable to catchlin ,the clothing, &c., or to he turned accident-ally.l

. The diameter of the worm wheel is made several times 'greater than that of the worm or eudlless screw, to lessen the power required to turn the latt-er, and, at the same time, cause the adjustment of the table to be made with the greatest delicacy and accuracy.

The operation is as follows:

The table'or other piece of furniture restswith its whole weight-upon the base of the rods '0, and the frictional contact. ,of the same with the floor of the room is such that, whenever it is found-desirable or necessary to adjust. the height of one or vmore corners of the table, to secure a true level, the

turning of the worm will actuate the wheel, and the latter, being so lodged in its cavity, as stated, that it canV neither rise 'nor fall there/in, must, in turning, cause the table to rise or fall to the same extent that the wheel works it way up or down upon the thread z have been adj ust-ed to a true level, or needs adj ustment, i

I propose to b'ed a spirit level in each of the sides of the table.

I do not claitn an arrangement .of table-lifting;de.-A

I have shown it as screwed int-o i Yices seoured to and wit-hin'zt metallio case, the latter being placed Wihin-aezWity in the bottom, of the leg nnd near the floor; nor do I claim any contriva-nee 'herehy the whole table-top is bodily lifted or lowex'ed simnltzmeously, as in cases where dining-room tahles are elevated to oonvel't them, temporarily, into tables upon which billiards may be nnsatisfaotorily played; but Ielaim The described arrangement of the rod C, screwthreaded at 'its top, and extending through the leg of the table, the threadedgearD;1oeated in aioavity in the body of the table above the leg, the worln also loated within the body of the table, and' the fixed thumb-piece F, or its equivalent, the whole constructed and Operating as set forth.

BUOKLAND 'W. BULL. Witnesses:

GEORGE SAUNDERS, M. O1FLAHERTY. 

